Rocacorba Daily

Tuesday January 28, 2014

Curated by Matt de Neef - January 28, 2014

In this morning’s edition of the Rocacorba Daily news digest: Peter Sagan to ride for Fernando Alonso’s team in 2015?; Voeckler aims for Volta ao Algarve return; An interview with Michele Acquarone; Moreno happy with dual role at Katusha; Reviewing the Santos Tour Down Under; New Zealand Cycle Classic provisional startlist; 40 ways to make this your best year on the bike yet; 2014 USA Pro Challenge promo video; and Aussie teen does world’s first “front flip, forward bike flip”.

Peter Sagan to ride for Fernando Alonso’s team in 2015?

According to Italian website Tutto Bici F1 star Fernando Alonso has signed up Peter Sagan (Cannondale) for the team’s he putting together for the 2015 season.

The 24-year-old Slovak has reportedly signed a contract worth €3.3m that will see him race for the new squad until the end of 2016.

Ever since Alonso flagged his intention to start a WorldTour team rumours have been flying around about who would ride on the team, including Sagan, Alberto Contador and more.

The UCI prohibits early-season deals with teams only allowed to announce contracts from August 1 onwards. In reality, many deals are done as early as June or July at the Tour de France.

Click here to read more at Cycling Weekly and click here to read the original article at Tutto Bici.

Voeckler aims for Volta ao Algarve return

Australian fans didn’t get to see Thomas Voeckler (Europcar) at the Tour Down Under thanks to an accident that saw the flamboyant Frenchman break his collarbone just days before the race started.

But Voeckler has since returned to France for surgery and is now saying that he’s aiming for a return to racing at the Volta ao Algarve in late February.

“I’m recovering well,” Voeckler told L’Équipe. “I still have to talk about it with the team doctors and management, but I don’t imagine that I’ll return to competition any later than at the Volta ao Algarve.”

Before the season started Voeckler nominated Paris-Nice as one his target races for 2014 but with the race starting in early March Voeckler will presumably need to reassess his goals once he’s back on the bike.

An interview with Michele Acquarone

Over the past few days the folks at VeloNation have been publishing the various parts of a long interview they did with former Giro d’Italia director Michele Acquarone.

In the interview Acquarone talks about the mistakes the current Giro directors have made in organising this year’s race (inviting the Yellow Fluo team, and not inviting MTN-Qhubeka), the plans he had to organise a women’s version of Milan-San Remo and other races, his impressions of Brian Cookson’s tenure so far, and why the WorldTour calendar needs reform, including the shortening of the Grand Tours.

To read part one of the interview, click here. To read part two, click here. And click here for part three.

Moreno happy with dual role at Katusha

Despite being cast in a supporting role for Joaquim Rodriguez last season (and riding many of the same races as his leader), Daniel Moreno managed to take victories at Fleche Wallonne and two stages in the Vuelta a Espana.

Katusha general manager Viatcheslav Ekimov is reportedly considering separating the two Spaniards more this season, to give Moreno a greater chance of winning races for himself.

“It sounds good but at the same time, there aren’t too many separate races – Tirreno-Adriatico, Milan-San Remo, if I ride it, and the Dauphiné,” Moreno told Biciciclismo. “With a good team around me, everything is possible. I’m ready. Last year, for example, I only raced [as leader] at the Dauphiné. I like to take responsibility.”

But Moreno stresses that he knows his place at Katusha.

“I feel comfortable. Why change it, when I can help Purito get big wins and have my own chances too?” Moreno said. “I don’t want us to separate too much. To get rid of this duo would be unwise. Besides, I get bored without him…”

Reviewing the Santos Tour Down Under

If you’re looking for some great analysis of the Santos Tour Down Under, what the result means and what we can learn from this year’s race, go no further than this piece by The Inner Ring and this piece by Jono Lovelock.

And if you want a great five-minute video recap showing how the race was won, check this out from the ever-excellent Cyclocosm:

New Zealand Cycle Classic provisional startlist

The 2014 edition of the UCI 2.2 New Zealand Cycle Classic starts tomorrow and runs through to Sunday. This year’s edition of the 27-year-old race features five stages including a stage 1 ITT and four road stages.

It’s a race that Australians have traditionally done very well at and last year’s edition was won by Team Sky recruit Nathan Earle. Flying the Australian colours will be the teams of Budget Forklifts, Satalyst Giant, Avanti, Drapac, Subaru Albion, Data#3 Symantec, and GPM.

Click here for the provisional startlist for the race and click here for the race’s webpage.

40 ways to make this your best year on the bike yet

Whether you’re the sort of person that likes New Year’s resolutions or not, there’s no doubt that a new year means new opportunities and a fresh outlook on things. Cycling Weekly has put together a list of 40 things you can do to keep your cycling fresh and makes this your best year on the bike yet.

Some suggestions are simple, others are less so but they’re all worth at least a quick squiz. Here’s an excerpt:

“

32 Get more sleep

Correct training + good nutrition + solid recovery = increased fitness. That’s the basic fitness equation, but although a lot is written about the first two aspects, and many cyclists get them more or less right, the third, solid recovery, is often skimped on or even overlooked.

That’s a shame because recovery is just as important as the other two components; it’s when fitness gains take hold.

Recovery means rest, and the most powerful recovery tool is sleep. Your body grows stronger and fitter after you stop training, but that process accelerates during sleep. Growth hormone is one reason why it happens; it’s secreted by your pituitary gland, and one of the strongest factors that stimulates its secretion is sleep. Increase the quality and quantity of sleep and you get a bigger hit of growth hormone, so you’ll recover quicker and will be able to train hard sooner, and so you get fitter.

2014 USA Pro Challenge promo video

Check out this promo for this year’s USA Pro Challenge:

Aussie teen does world’s first “front flip, forward bike flip”

Eighteen-year-old Australian Ryan Williams has reportedly become the first person ever to land a trick that’s being dubbed a “front flip, forward bike flip” on a BMX bike. He managed the trick during the Nitro Circus European Tour and apparently holds a number of scooter world-firsts as well. Crazy stuff.

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Realistically with Sagan out of contract at the end of the season anyway he will go to the highest bidder, however how would his supposed departure to Alonso’s new team (or any other team I suppose) impact his World Tour schedule this year given the points he earns will follow him? Maybe not at all.

mattb

my favourite tip, and one I shall live by, for 2014 is:

07 Don’t let yourself be held accountable for other cyclists
There will always be cyclists who ride through red traffic lights, or
otherwise breach the law and generally get on everyone’s nerves. Don’t
get drawn into arguments about it. What they are doing is nothing to do
with you, but some people will try to involve you simply because you are
a cyclist. Don’t let them. Tell them what others do is nothing to do
with you. Refuse to argue. It’s just a small thing but it can make life
much easier.

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